Page 63 of Love Among the Ruins
All she needed to do was keep her head down and work. She had to because he was paying her handsomely for it.
* * *
“Dominic would like to see you.” Miranda’s voice was breathless, as if he’d asked to see Miranda instead of her.
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
Eleni hung up, feeling uptight and wary. She marched into his office; head held high. “You wanted to see me?” It had been two days since she’d seen him, since he’d appeared in her office and abruptly disappeared again.
“I have a meeting with Galatis and I’d like you to come with me.”
“But Linus is back—”
“I don’t want Linus. I’m asking you.”
“Is Helen not available?” she asked calmly, even though she was riddled with a category five level of anger.
Dominic’s brow furrowed, and he stared at her for the longest time, rather like she imagined he might when Galatis reeled off another fact about the Acropolis of Athens, or the Delphi instead of discussing his beloved deal.
She was afraid that she’d crossed the line and stepped accidentally into his private life. Immediately she regretted asking him. “I mean, sure. I can come.” Her hands turned all fidgety and she pulled her index fingers, first one hand, then the other. “You’re the boss. I can come. After all, I work for you, in your employ and you can ask of me what you want, and I will comply.”
He watched her silently, while she rambled on like a blubbering fool, repeating the words he’d said to her.
Say something,she wanted to scream, when he was still silent. His inaction unnerved her, and the butterflies in her belly—more like wild bats—didn’t help. She was not used to this. This … this falling to pieces and losing control of her thoughts and her feelings.
“It’s an early start tomorrow.”
“How early?” It was happening.
“I have to meet with the crazy old Galatis at seven, at some goddamn…” He squinted at his computer screen. “… Temple of…hef—and—esst-aa-ee—stus”.
Her lips pressed together. It was commonplace, tourists not being able to pronounce many Greek names, but Dominic, when he did it, it made her especially mad. Gathering her composure with all the might she could summon, “You mean the Temple of Hephaestus. It’s pronounced ha-faz-stus.”
“Andthat’sthe reason I’m taking you with me.”
“Can you say it, properly? Could you try?”
He seemed surprised. “You want me to … say it?”
“It’s a Greek temple. It wouldn’t kill you to get the name right.”
His eyes moved from her mouth to her eyes. She could see he was finding it difficult. “Ha-faz-stus,” he said, slowly.
She blinked. “You know where I live?” He looked at her silently. Almost guiltily. “Of course you know where I live. I’ll be ready.” She almost turned on her heel and left but she couldn’t help herself. “If you change your mind and decide to take Helen, please let me know earlier, so that I can go back to bed.”
And then she turned and left, her face heated.
“Your stationery order is here,” said Miranda, stopping Eleni in her tracks.
“What?” A pulsating between her legs had thrown her mind into disarray. She stopped. Miranda was shoving a small package in her hands.
“Thanks,” she said, absent-mindedly.
“What happened in there?” Miranda whispered, her neck craning as she peered closer.
That man. This hadn’t happened in a while, not since the time when she’d first set eyes on Jonas. He was so handsome, dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin, and the heart of an angel. He’d been her everything. He’d loved her from the get-go.
And now …
Now she wasn’t thinking of him so much. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Eleni.” Miranda rose in her chair, her eyes growing large with worry. Eleni shook her head, not wanting to talk about it. That bossy, miserable, mercurial man in there, a man she could not read nor understand, he made herfeelthings. Made her experience emotions she’d kept suppressed for a long time. He was to blame for the way her heart was flapping, like the wings of a frantic bird.
All he’d done was ask her to accompany him again, but he’d said nothing about the dinner where he’d stood her up. The one he’d ditched her in favor of taking Helen.
“Can we go to lunch today?” she asked, desperately needing some good female company.
